


Digimon Frontier: The Aftermath

by Mikasa361



Category: Digimon Frontier
Genre: F/M, Gen, General fiction, Literature, Other, fan fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-01
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 16:30:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8497336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikasa361/pseuds/Mikasa361
Summary: Three years later after the events of Digimon Frontier... The elder digidestined are in high school! How well will they fare in a new school, with new people... In a new country?Oh hey, I have a server for writing and stuff. Check it out right here! Come for writing tips- or bring some of your own! Either way, come visit that little snake with the top hat!





	1. Chapter 1- 3 Years Later

**Author's Note:**

> **DISCLAIMER**   
>  _Canon characters belong to Digimon Frontier, Toei animation. Tara, Stephen, Miranda, Patrycja, and Colleen are all mine._

_A/N : Yes, I'm putting my OC in this. Yes, I may ship her with someone later on. No, she's not a Mary Sue. (God no, I'd have hated myself for that.) Please don't flame me. It's not like Digimon Frontier has a sequel season, and no ships have become canon. It's fair game, guys. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!_

      "Kanbara, heads up!” Oh shoot. Takuya quickly managed to gain possession of the ball, running to land it in the goal. _Come on come on come on…._ YES. The ball sailed past the goalie, right to his left. _Perfect._ It kissed the net and landed softly on the turf. Cheers roared from the home side of the field, while groans percolated from the rival side. One loud scream erupted that hit Takuya’s ears the most.  
      “YEAH, TAKUYA!!!! THAT’S MY BIG BRO!” Shinya’s cheers were bright and full of energy. Takuya grinned at him, and glanced at the enemy captain, who was gawking at him. He smirked. _That’s right, buddy. You're in my turf now._

      _It couldn't be any more impossible to study right now…… Could those stupid seniors turn their music DOWN?_ Kouji glared from the window to his Biology textbook. _Do they really have such little respect for their neighbors? Sigh. Why exactly was moving to America a good idea?_ He stepped off his bed and walked to the window.  
        Football players were chugging from red Solo cups. Attractive young girls with long legs and rosy lips danced on them. Some stay by the snacks, and Kouji couldn't help but wonder if JP would have done that. Sure, JP went to the gym and all, but Kouji knew that his friend would sneak a cheat day in if he could. The music was obnoxiously loud, and it wasn't even a good song. Then again, most of the music wasn't to his own taste anyway, but at the same time, it wouldn't kill these kids to turn it down. It gave him tinnitus just listening to it from his house.  
      Kouji turned away and looked at the open textbook on his bed. _Ugh…… Ecology…._ Indeed, to him it was a rather dull unit. Perhaps it may have been better had he went to Takuya’s soccer game… But no matter how many times he asked, his father said no. “You need to study,” he had said, “your last quiz was terrible, you usually do so well. Study.” Kouji rolled his eyes as he remembered. _Yeah, you try staying up all night finishing a damn History project you were only given a day to do. You'd be too tired to take a quiz too. This test will be easy as hell. Hm. I wonder what Kouichi’s up to._ Kouji sighed and closed the textbook. At least he had a couple hours of peace before that party started. _Looks like I'm done for the day._  
      He paused.  
    _….Damn it, it was only a B….._

      Tommy sat on the bench and checked his phone. Still nothing from anyone. Ah well. They're busy. He looked up at the clouds and smiled softly. It was a lovely day, and birds were flapping lazily across the sky. The sun was warm and inviting. Who knew a Sunday could be so perfect? He breathed in the sweet breeze that gently blew across his face. It picked up strands of his hair and caressed his very form. It was days like this that made him feel like a total hippie, but nonetheless refreshed.  
      His phone finally buzzed. It was Kouji, informing him that he just finished studying for a Bio test. Geez, the thought of high school made him wince. Bigger school, lots of people, harder classes, no designated time to go to his locker…. Not _enough_ time…. He would see JP walk to school with his backpack loaded, but he didn't bother to use his locker. Takuya did, but he was always late to math. Kouji had told Takuya countless times to have his stuff in his arms when he went to his locker, Tommy recalled. But it wasn't like Takuya listened.  
He sighed and texted back. “Good luck with that. What are you doing now?”  
      Buzz.  
      **Just visiting my brother. How’d Takuya’s game go?**  
      “Victorious! He won!”  
      **Oh, cool. Congrats to him. He wasn't texting me like usual. He's probably mad. I told him Dad wouldn't let me go anywhere until I finished studying.**  
      “I dunno. He didn't text me either. Nobody did until you finally responded… Haha”  
      **Funny. Saying I have no life?**  
      “Well no. Clearly textbooks are your life.  
      **If only I could say that's not true. Sigh. Anyways, I'm at Kouichi’s house. Have fun doing…. Whatever it is you're doing.** Geez, his friend could text quickly with that phone of his. He didn't even have a full keyboard.  
      “Just enjoying the breeze. Tell your brother I said hello!”  
      **Will do.**  
      Tommy put his phone away. He then curled up on the bench and fell asleep in the warm sunshine.

 

      _Ow!!!!!_ Zoe burned her finger again on her curling iron. Oops. Goodness, why did she even agree to go on a date with this guy? And it's not even anywhere nice. Just a night out at the mall. She figured looking pretty was the best option here. But she was nervous. She barely knew this guy from football games, where she was cheerleading and he was the quarterback. She thought soccer was football, but apparently that's an anywhere-but-America thing. Whatever. She was going to have fun, no matter what,  
      But nobody in the Digi gang wanted her dating him. Kouji had given her a look when she told him, but he shrugged. Takuya wanted every last detail about the guy. Tommy shook his head, telling her she shouldn't date a guy she didn't even know. Kouichi had told her she didn't have to pity him by saying yes, but she knew he was joking. ….Right?  
      The one who took the hardest hit was JP. He was visibly upset when Zoe told him she was going on a date. But the thing was, she knew he was trying his best to hold it back and look happy for her. All he succeeded in doing was giving her an awkward grimace.  
      She sighed and checked her nails. Her manicure was still pristine. _Zoe, really. Was a mani necessary for one date? One small, insignificant date at the mall? Could I be any more looking-like-I'm-trying-too-hard?_ One last curl in her hair, and she was done. Ah, _belissima!_ She did admit that although she overdid it, she looked really nice.  
      _Ding-ding-dong…_ The doorbell sent a jolt through her heart. That scared the crap out of her. She went out the door and down the stairs to meet her date. _Okay, Stephen, okay. Calm the hell down._

 

      _One more set of bicep curls, and I'm done. God, I'm glad I didn't go to that stupid party._ JP stretched his arms and started the set again, pacing his breathing and going slow. He was proud of the work he had been doing. Not only did he succeed in cutting down the amount of food he ate, but he went to the gym on a constant schedule. He felt so much happier with each pound he had shed. But he thought that each pound he lost was a pound closer to...  
      Zoe had told him Friday about her date. It seemed to take a pin and burst his bubble. It took an arrow and cut the string that was holding his heart up. He was happy for her, sure. But all this work he was doing to impress her was for naught. It seemed that no matter what JP did, he would never be good enough for her. _Last bicep curl… And done. I'm exhausted._ He did some stretches, took his towel, sipped his water, and headed to the locker room.  
      _I guess I'm due for a bar of chocolate. I earned it._ As he showered and changed, all he could think about was Zoe. Zoe Zoe Zoe. Was she really the only thing on his mind? She never even batted an eyelash for him, why is he even bothering? Zoe only ever seemed to show an interest in Takuya and Kouji. Figured. She and Takuya had a friendly rivalry. He was such a hotshot. Kouji was the silent knight who knew how to fight with a frickin’ pole. Big deal. JP was close friends with them, but it was recollections of Zoe clinging to the two of them all those years that made his blood boil. _I'm the one who lo---- whoa. Take a chill pill. No you don't. Not if she doesn't feel that way too._ He changed into his regular clothes.  
      _Why the hell do I do this for her? I should be doing this for me._

 

      “What? But a B isn't that bad though!” Kouichi shook his head.  
      “Tell Dad that,” Kouji grumbled, “you're the one who's living with Mom.”  
      “Yeah, but it's not all it's cut out to be.” Kouichi took a plum out of the fruit basket on the counter. “Mom has her fair share of issues too. The only reason she doesn't yell at me for getting a B is because she knows that I'm bad at math.”  
      “How are you my brother?”  
      “Um, excuse me? How are you my brother? What's so bad about History?” Kouji stuck his tongue out.  
      “It's a snooze-fest. ( _A/N: Wow, excuse you._ ) That's the ideal period for a _nap_  
.” Kouichi face-palmed.  
      “You have an A though.”  
      “Minus.”  
      “Whatever. It's an honors course.”  
      “One that _everyone_ is taking to look all special for college. And it doesn't mean that I _like_ History. There's nothing to it. That's why I like math and science.” He smirked.             “I'm itching to take Chemistry.”  
      “Nerd,” Kouichi taunted. Kouji blew a raspberry at his elder brother.  
      “Says the History buff. Let's not even _start_ with the books I catch you reading.”  
      “What? It's _The Scarlet Letter_. It's a classic.”  
      “Classically dull. It would be decent if the author would stop going on and _on_ and  
_on_ ….” Kouichi shrugged.  
      “Valid point, Hawthorne loves to elaborate.” He sat there for a moment. “....How exactly did you get a B on that quiz?”  
      “I pulled an all-nighter on that stupid project, that's how. I hated that thing. Anyway, what's up with you?”  
      “Well, aside from grades……. I got a crush on someone.” Kouji jokingly grabbed a textbook from his brother’s desk.  
      “Do I have to bash her head in? Who is she?” Kouichi rolled his eyes.  
      “No. She's in my English class. Brown hair, blue eyes….. _Wow_.”  
      “Name?”  
      “Miranda. She's from England.”  
      “Wow. I know you like tea, but seriously.” Kouichi rolled his eyes again.  
      “Ha-ha. Funny. But she's just so…… _Wow_.”  
      “Is that seriously the only thing you can say?”  
      “Look for yourself! She's hot.”  
      “And that's all you see?”  
      “No! She's smart, she reads as much as I do….” It was Kouji’s turn to roll his eyes.  
      “And yet the only way you can describe her is to say ‘wow’...”  
      “Like I said, you'd have to look for yourself to understand.”  
      “There's no way she could be that perfect.”  
      “There is!!!” Kouji face-palmed.  
      “You are _such_ a hopeless romantic.” They sat there in silence. Kouichi contemplated the conversation. Perhaps it was the fact that his brother never dated, but he knew for a fact that Kouji shouldn't be speaking like that. But he knew also that he was a hopeless romantic. But Miranda was different. ( _A/N: Miranda is_ not _my OC._ ) She was so nice to him….. Helped him if and when he needed help……. Yeah, he could say they were friends. He felt that he could ask her out soon, but of course Kouichi wanted to run it by everyone.  
      But……… They'd have to get to know her first.

 

      “Tara! Vi er på vei ut! (Tara! We’re headed out!)” _Great_ , Tara thought, _Like I wanted to go to this thing anyway. She knows I don't like social gatherings like these, right?_ Tara made sure that she was nice and presentable. All this family stuff before her mom got married. Joy…….. She looked in the mirror at the raven black hair that trailed past her shoulders and hung at her waist. Soon enough, it would be curled and about four inches shorter. She took off her glasses and grabbed her contacts case, as she reluctantly stuck one lens in the right and one lens in the left.  
      Her eyes watered, but she was still okay. She just had to get used to it, is all. Just one more week, and she wouldn't have to be around all these people anymore. She could hang out with Colleen and Patrycja, study, and practice the ukulele to her heart’s content. When her baby blue eyes cleared, she gave her reflection a small smile and walked to the stairs, her heels clacking against the wooden floor. There were her mother and father, Editha and Hotaka. Her father gave her a warm smile, one so full of love…. No way could she be mad at him for making her go to this. Nor should she be mad at her mother. Tara glanced at her brother Edgard as well. His blue eyes twinkled behind the frame of blonde hair, making him look so similar to their mother.  
      “Well…. I guess we’re going.” Edgard nodded at her.  
      “Yep. Off we go.”  
      The car ride was quiet except for the music on the radio. Tara wanted so badly to take a nap, but she would mess up her dress. What a drag it was. She checked her phone, to see if anyone texted her about the Bio homework……. And put it away in her small purse, knowing there were no messages. Still. She just had to figure out how exactly she wanted her hair curled so that she was ready for the wedding rehearsal.  
      ….She would rather be playing the ukulele right now.

2/28/16  



	2. Chapter 1- 3 Years Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER  
> Canon characters belong to Digimon Frontier, Toei animation. Tara, Stephen, Miranda, Patrycja, and Colleen are all mine.

_A/N: Colleen and Patrycja are my OCs. They're Tara’s friends. I'll probably put brief profiles in the description. And you guessed it, Tara’s my OC. If she sounded like Kouji last chapter, I'm so sorry!!!! She's just in a grumpy mood. X3 She's just shy around new people, but she does warm up! Also I hope the dinner scene doesn’t drag too much. I just want you to get a feel of why Tara hates this so much. One more thing: I’m gonna try and make the date a little lengthier. Enjoy!_

            _Oh, this is great. So the family shows up for Mom’s second wedding and not her first? Bastards. This is going to be a long-ass dinner. Can we just get to the rehearsal and go the hell home???_  
           Tara couldn't have been in a more sour mood. The only members of her family that she even _knew_ were her parents, her brother, and one of her aunts, along with a couple of cousins. It drove her insane because ever since her parents got back together, Tara had the chance to meet half of her dad’s family, but the majority of her mother’s family had stayed out of the picture her entire life. Now here they were, all conversing with each other.  
           None of them even made an effort to talk to Dad’s side of the family, nor to Dad himself. Oh, how pompous they looked, with their glasses of wine and their satin dresses and their expensive tuxedos. It was a shame, really. It seemed that Mom had gotten the short end of the stick when it came to money. Where were her grandparents, anyway? Ever since Edgard came into the picture, her grandparents were out. They wanted nothing to do with him or Mom.  
           But really, it was never about her, or her other seven siblings. It was always all about them. Her mother, Editha, was the very youngest of them all- including herself, there were three girls and five boys. Seeing them and their families made Tara feel crowded. The only aunt she knew was her aunt Albina, her uncle Filippe (Albina married a Spanish man, she was, with the exception of Editha, the least favored of all the children because of this), and her cousins Agnes, Rosalina, and Brian. Everyone else on that side of the family Tara couldn’t care less about. She took a glance at her brother. Edgard was looking around with a bored look across his face. As soon as they stepped into the banquet hall, everyone turned to face the door. Tara fled behind her father, Hotaka. Hotaka sighed and gave a friendly smile to all… Ignoring the looks his soon-to-be-in-laws gave him. Editha looked like she was about to pass out. Finally, Hotaka’s father stepped forward, in fluent Japanese.  
           “Hotaka! It’s been a long time,” he happily greeted, “So good to see you!”  
           “Likewise, Father,” Hotaka agreed, “I see you’re making the rounds.” His father grinned. Editha snickered at the confused faces her family made. Tara continued to hide, while Edgard merely maintained his blank expression. It wasn’t until Hotaka and his family decided to go over and mingle that the other side of the family finally started interacting with them. Except for Albina and her family. They had been getting to know the entirety of Hotaka’s family. Seeing them brightened Tara’s mood just a little… Until she noticed two older people in lavish clothing approaching her mother. She moved backwards a little, doing everything she could not to snarl.  
           “Editha…” The woman smiled at her. Tara wanted so badly to punch the teeth out of her. But shy as she was, she probably couldn’t even move from her spot. To her shock, Editha made no snarky response.  
           “Hello, Mama.” She hugged her mother, but ever so cautiously. Tara knew exactly why.  
           “Oh, it’s so wonderful to see you!” _Bitch, no it’s not. It absolutely is_ not. _The only reason you’re here is to make yourself look good, isn’t it?_ Tara gritted her teeth. She wanted to leave, to not have to deal with this crap. But nope. She was stuck there. “Is this your son? Oh, he’s so handsome!” Finally Edgard released a small smile.  
           “Thanks, Grandma.” She gave a (at least to Tara, due to her ever-seething resentment) fake smile.  
           “Oh, and is that my granddaughter behind you, Mr. Watanabe?” _MR. WATANABE._ She didn’t even bother to learn his _name_!  
“Hotaka,” Hotaka politely corrected. “And yes. These are Edgard and Tara.” He gave the sweetest, most genuine smile. “C’mon, Tara. Please show yourself.” _Okay, Tara. Stop hiding. Fake a smile. That’s it, make it a pretty smile. Gotta show her that you’re doing fine even though she kicked your mother out of the house when she was pregnant. Nooooope, that doesn’t affect me at all._ It took all Tara had to not go bat-shit on this woman.  
           “H-hi, Grandma.”  
           “Oh hello, dear!” Lucky her. She studied English in college or something. Edgard gently placed his hand on his sister’s shoulder, urging her to not be so tense. She took a deep breath once Tara’s grandparents started talking about how well they were doing.  
As she and Edgard started walking toward Albina, she couldn’t help but notice the small twitch in her mama’s eye as they spoke to her. 

           Tommy was on his way to the library to get a head start on his essay. He sure didn’t want to have any homework to do next Friday. He remembered the last time that happened, and how much he had to do that weekend. It gave him little to no opportunity to hang out with his friends. _Yep. Definitely some motivation to get it all done. Ugh. If this is bad, high school must be brutal. I wonder how bad the rest of the gang has it…. Especially since they balance that and clubs… Does Kouji even do after school activities? Maybe? Either way, he knew Takuya had sports, JP had some sort of clubs in addition to going to the gym…. And wrestling. Zoe had Italian club and cheer and a few other things…. I think Kouichi has some sort of writing club…. Man. They all have a lot on their plates._  
           He walked past the ice cream place when he heard a couple of jeering voices. _Oh, joy…. My favorite people in the entire world…._ They began to approach him as he walked a little faster. _Maybe if I walk a little faster, I can lose them._ He picked up the pace a little more as they started to walk faster as well, their harsh words growing worse by the second. _Ignore them, Tommy. They’ll go away. They’ll go away. Just bore them out. Just keep walking…. Keep walking….._ Tommy took a short glance at his pursuers.  
           It was a mixture of sixth graders from his class, a couple of seventh graders, and one sixth grader who was supposed to be in the eighth grade. What a lovely little crew they were, making snide remarks and rude gestures. _Can’t they just leave me alone? Why are they chasing me like this????? What am I doing wrong?????_ As soon as he noticed how close they were, Tommy began to run. _Let’s see if track has made me a little better at running….._ Pacing his breathing, Tommy ducked into a corner after gaining some distance. No luck. They continued to run after him, but he could tell they were starting to get tired. Until….  
           Tommy tripped and fell FLAT on his face. He nearly said an offensive word under his breath. _Crap… I knew I should’ve ducked into a building to tie my shoes….. That would’ve been a smart option. I really need to be careful----_  
           “There you are, ya little shit,” one seventh grader sneered, “I heard you tripped Brendon here. And you’re gonna pay.” Brendon sneered as well.  
           “Yeah, that’s right. That’s the runt who did it. And he thought he could impress Evelyn. You thought WRONG.” Tommy felt his head being put into a vice grip between the oldest kid’s hands. It was torture, what he was currently feeling. Torture and sheer humiliation. And he wasn’t even out of middle school yet.  
           “T-that was NOT me!!! I DID NOT TRY TO TRIP YOU! LET ME GO!” Tommy’s screams were piercing, but futile.  
           “Nice try, little twerp. But that’s not gonna save you this time. I don’t care if you’re from _Star Wars_ , you’re not getting away from me.” Brendon’s cutting voice made Tommy wince in the other guy’s grip. But just as he was bracing himself for the inevitable kick to the nether regions, another voice boomed from about fifty feet away.  
           “GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HIM.” It was the voice Tommy knew oh so well. When he looked up, he saw Takuya walking over, the rest of the soccer team staying there. But although they stayed, Takuya’s position as captain made his friends their friends. So they gave these middle-schoolers evil glares from afar. Tommy looked to his left, and noticed Kouji and Kouichi just leaving Kouichi’s neighborhood (Kouji lived a block away from his brother, because it made switching between houses easier). They both took a second to assess the scene, until Kouji appeared to switch into rage mode and slowly tread over. Kouichi followed with a somewhat more composed facial expression. Kouji broke into a run, and he and Takuya made it to the bullies at around the same time. As Kouji took on Damien (the should-have-been eighth grader), Takuya knocked Brendon down and pinned him down with his foot, just like a soccer ball. “So you think that’s FUNNY?”  
           “You sadistic CREEPS,” Kouji snarled. Ah, what the dynamic duo. Tommy couldn’t be more relieved to see his high-school friends. He had been released, and he was catching his breath on the sidewalk. Kouji and Takuya were chewing their captives out while Kouichi and the soccer team rounded up the other bullies. Kouji kept Damien in a choke hold just in case Damien had any further ideas of escaping. It was funny, really- Kouji was a noodle compared to this guy, but he was _strong_. He would have been really good at martial arts, if he didn’t take it before. “You like this, punk? You think this is a friggin’ GAME? Wait until I flip ya over, you sadistic son of a bitch.”  
           “...Sadistic…?” Damien managed to squeak. There was a pause, and everyone watched as Kouji’s eyes practically _rolled_ into the back of his head.  
           “You’re kidding me, right?” Kouji released Damien as he passed out in his arms. “...Geez, could he have been any more stupid?” He turned to Brendon and the rest of the captives.  
           “Well,” Takuya boomed in rage, “Are you gonna leave? Or do you want to mess with my friend here?” They stared at Kouji for a moment. Kouji looked rather bored. Damien was much too stupid to fight back. After a short silence, they all ran off.  
Takuya stood there awhile, glaring in their direction.  
           “That’s what I thought.”

           Okay, we’re here. So what do you want to do?” Zoe looked at Stephen curiously. He had driven her to the mall, and she was very curious to see what he had planned. To her surprise and her utter disappointment, he said:  
           “No idea. Whatever you wanna do.” Zoe wanted to punch him. _You ask me on a frickin’ date, and you have NO IDEA WHAT YOU WANNA DO???? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???_ But she smiled and nodded.  
           “Well, how about we go to that little restaurant over there?” Stephen took a look.  
           “Olive Garden? You’re from Italy, right? You’d be real disappointed.” Zoe was taken aback. _Well that figures… That was kinda rude. Where’d this dude come from, Assholes-R-Us?_  
           “Well yeah, I’m from Italy, but I got here from Japan. Just letting you in on that.”  
           “Oh, why don’t we go over there then?” He pointed at a small Chinese food place. Zoe tried to hold back an are-you-shitting-me face.  
           “For one, that’s Chinese food. Two, I’m Japanese. Three, why would you automatically assume I’d like that instead of seemingly disappointing Italian food…?”  
           “Just saying. You’re more Asian than Italian right?” Zoe’s eyes bugged. _Ignore that. Ignore it._  
           “I’m all Asian. But I lived in Italy for a few years. Then Japan. Then here.” _It’s not entirely that difficult of a concept. No wonder Kouji gave me that look. He was concerned for my brain cells._  
           “Hm. Cool. So you still wanna go to Olive Garden?”  
           “Actually… How about we get a pretzel or something? Simple, right?”  
           “Eh. Whatever. Up to you.” _You passive motherf--- Not worth it._ She wanted to slap him. Seriously. Who asks a girl on a date and has no freaking PLAN? Really?  
           “Oh. Well…. Okay then. Should I pay?”  
           “Nah. I've got money. You just keep being pretty.” Zoe nodded. _At least he has the decency to pay for my food. There is some hope yet_. They walked to the kiosk and Stephen bought a couple of pretzels for the two of them. Zoe got a cinnamon sugar one. She tore off a small piece, took a bite, and rolled her eyes in bliss. _This. Is amazing. I'm going to make this one last._ As they walked around, Zoe took little bites of her pretzel. Stephen had devoured his within two minutes. _Ugh. JP is a much more polite eater than this……._  
           The silence between the two was very awkward. Zoe had no idea what to say, and the only thing Stephen wanted to do was flirt with other girls while he had his arm around her shoulders. _So what am I, a side chick? This is just ridiculous._ She wanted so badly to just walk off. This whole thing just wasn't working for her. She figured that he was just shy at first. Man, was she wrong. _Accidenti! (Damn!) I should've just stayed home today._ Finally, Stephen spoke to her.  
           “Having fun?” _Um, hell no?_  
           “Um….. Yeah. Sure.” ZOE. COME ON NOW.  
           “Good.” He smirked. She had to admit though…. Even though this guy was an asshole, he was very attractive. But at the same time, he was just…… Awful. She wanted to slap him. “Because I want you to stop hanging with those losers you call friends.” _Scusi…?_ Zoe’s inner Italian was really beginning to poke out.  
           “My friends? You're serious?”  
           “What? Okay, listen. I respect Takuya. But the rest gotta go.” Zoe raised an eyebrow.  
           “And what exactly do you mean by that? Why do you only respect Takuya?”  
           “He's captain of the soccer team. He's gonna get laid. He's going somewhere. The rest ain't.” _Oh. Hell. No._  
           “And you're basing a person’s worth based on whether or not they'll sleep with someone one day? Are you seriously that shallow?”  
           “Shallow? How rude.” Zoe’s fists curled. She was two seconds from punching him in the face. Any moment now….  
           “Me? Rude? HILARIOUS. You're the one who's talking shit about my friends!”  
           “Well,  face it. That Kouji kid is a wallflower, his brother is only two steps up from that……. You hang out with a fucking SIXTH GRADER….. And JP. The loser sophomore who only got fit to impress YOU.” Zoe snapped. Her anger flared up to its peak.  
           “THAT’S A LIE. HE’S DOING THAT FOR HIS OWN HEALTH.”  
           “Everyone knows that's just an act. He does it because he knows it makes you happy to see him doing well, and he thinks you're hot shit. But now that you're acting like this, I'm not so sure. I'm starting to think you only got popular because of the cheer team…. Psh.”  
           “So wait.” Zoe’s eyes were narrow with rage. “You're saying you only wanted to date me because it would make JP jealous?”  
           “No. I did it because I thought you were desperate enough to sleep with me. There's a difference.” Zoe froze in place. Then she felt the heat rush to her ears. Her hand raised, and everyone within a ten-foot radius heard a slapping sound and a shriek of pain from Stephen. Everyone within a forty foot radius or more could hear Zoe’s voice.  
           “Oh. _Hell._ To. The no. First you have _zero_ plans for this shitty date, leave me as miserable as possible, make _racist_ remarks, _attack my friends_ , and attack _me_ ……. If anyone’s desperate for a date, it's _YOU_.” Her face was fuming. People could practically see the _steam_ coming from her ears. “Because **NO GIRL IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD WANT TO BE WITH YOU.** No girl with sense would even be _friends_ with you! You're lazy, diluted, stupid, shallow, misogynistic, _racist_ , and overall a SHITTY person! Why do people like _YOU_? What exactly would _you_ bring to the table if someone were to _marry_ you? How would you even get a JOB? DAMN IT, I can't do this!” Zoe burst at him, and she ran off. She didn't even care about the people staring at her with buggy eyes and dropped jaws.  
           Zoe ran out of the mall and sat on a bench next to Macy’s. Tears began to well up in her eyes and roll down her cheeks. _He was so awful…… Everything he said hurt….. What the hell was all that?_ She looked at the ever-increasing drops of salty water on her skirt. It wasn't even what he said about _her_ that hurt……. It's what he said about her friends. She refused to believe whatever Stephen was trying to say. It hurt her so much……. Zoe wondered what they would think if they heard it all.  
           With her pain came more fury. _Did Stephen really assume I wanted to be his girlfriend? Why didn't I listen to Kouji when he gave me that look? Why didn't I instead opt to hang out with one of my friends? WHY HIM???_ More warm tears dripped onto her lap with that thought. She hugged her knees and cried for a while. Children happily laughed as they passed her, while their parents desperately tried to get them to hold their hands before they crossed the parking lot. They had a good time at Toys R Us or something.  
           When Zoe calmed down, she wiped her tears and took out her cellphone. She dialed the only number she knew would be out at this time. He was probably wrapping up at the gym ( _A/N: yes, this is around the same time as JP working out at the gym. I imagine that she was getting ready for the date around when JP was getting to the gym, and he probably spent an hour there. FYI. I'm bad at writing time lapses, if you can't tell. XD_ ). Aunt Mabel was probably on the way to pick him up. Zoe pressed call. 

            _Ring…_  
           Ring…  
           Ring…

 _Ring…._  
           “....Hello? Zoe?” Zoe felt herself going back into hysterics.  
           “H-Hey. C-can you take me home?” She was physically shaking. She just wanted so badly to go home.  
           “Okay, sure. I'll ask Aunt Mabel. Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?”  
           “I-I'm fine. I-I'll walk to the gym.”  
           “No, no. Where are you?”  
           “M-Macy’s. I'm outside the door.”  
           “Then I'll walk over there. Just hang tight. I'll tell Aunt Mabel to pick me up there and we’ll take you home. Hang in there Zoe. You can tell me what's going on later.”  
           “T-thanks so much…”  
           “It's not a problem, really! I'll be right over. See you then.”  
           “B-bye….” She hung up and looked at the sky.  
            _Great. Now he's worried about me._

_3/29/16_  



	3. Chapter 3- Call the squad, we got a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER  
> Canon characters belong to Digimon Frontier, Toei animation. Tara, Stephen, Miranda, Patrycja, and Colleen are all mine.

_A/N: Time for Tara to show her warmer side. XD I think she’s bonded with Zoe a little. They be lab partners~~~ But Tara has no clue who the hell everyone else is yet. Fun days~ Oh! Pardon me. Enjoy~_

 

 

           “What? Zoe, that's insane!” Tara whispered as she copied down the Do Now. Ecology. Fun times, man. Not. Zoe shook her head.  
           “He was just so _rude_ , Tara. I can't even begin to tell you how awful he was.”  
           “I could imagine. Guys like him are usually the kind of people you don't want to hang with. He is the prime example of a stupid jock.” Zoe finished her Do Now as quickly as she could. She copied the homework down and turned back to Tara.  
           “Well, I'm stuck with him for the rest of the season. Cheer, you know.”  
           “And this is why I went with Gymnastics.” Tara giggled. “All the fun tricks and more _without_ the morons drooling at your short skirt.” Zoe cracked up.  
           “And you think the _leotard_ is any better?”  
           “Eh. They like the skirts more- teases them, you know?”  
           “And _why_ are we bringing that up?”  
           “I didn't. Stephen did when he made that ignorant comment. Speaking of which, please don't worry too much about him. He's a senior. He's only here for one more year, and then done. Look forward to it.” Tara adjusted her glasses in a knowing manner. “It's good that you're true to your friends, though. Always a good trait to have.” Zoe nodded.  
           “True. And they've been my friends for a very long time. I don't know where I'd have been without them.”  
           “Isolated from the pack?”  
           “Who do I look like, Kouji?” Zoe giggled and whispered. Tara raised an eyebrow.  
           “Which one is…..?”  
           “Long black hair, ponytail, sitting in the back…..?” Tara shook her head.  
           “Doesn't ring a bell.” Zoe sighed and whispered.  
           “See that table, next to the jock, the kid looking really uncomfortable?” She gestured with her pencil. Tara nodded. “That's him. Not the most out-there socially, but he's a good guy.” Tara nodded again.  
           “Yeeeeeah, I see. Oh, okay. That guy.” Zoe chuckled.  
           “Yep. Him. Anyways, enough about me. What about you? How was the wedding rehearsal?” Tara rolled her eyes.  
           “Hated it. It was absolutely horrible. All of Mom’s family was there.” Zoe raised an eyebrow.  
           “Well isn't that a good thing that they actually bothered to show up?” Tara shook her head.  
           “Oh hell no. They made everything about _them_. Mom’s _their_ daughter/sister/niece/cousin. It's all about them. I swear, Aunt Albina and Dad’s family are so chill.”  
          “Well surely you should have met at least one member of the side of the family you actually like?”  
           “One. And that's one of my other cousins. She's got a good head on her shoulders. She's three. …..Okay, her brother’s cool too. He's sixteen. He's the most down-to-earth out of them.” Zoe nodded.  
           “Well……. It's better than nothing, right?” Tara nodded and took it in. Zoe was right- perhaps having one or two more cool cousins is a good thing. At least they would keep her sane when the wedding came. They fell silent when the teacher sent out another PowerPoint presentation, taking diligent notes and passing notes. Toward the end of class, the teacher made an announcement,  
           “Okay. New seats tomorrow. I'll have a seating chart when you walk in.” Tara cursed under her breath. That was her _least_ favorite part about this class; her teacher had a bad habit of changing the seats randomly. Zoe threw a concerned look back at Kouji, who despite his bored expression was internally panicking.  
           She really hoped that he would be okay.

 

           Zoe did not call for a meeting. JP did. He had immediately told the _entire_ squad when Zoe was safely at home. She could just imagine how badly Kouji was gonna yell at her when everyone else arrived. She held her breath as they all walked into Takuya’s living room. They sat on the two couches while Zoe stayed in the sofa chair. This was their thing- every time there was news, the person with news sat in the sofa chair. She wanted to go home and sleep instead of talk about it. Hell, she wanted Stephen to just go away. He told his jock friends about the date, and then… The entire school knew. Her only escape was cheer, when the girls gave her all their support.  
           But she had to face the reality; the gang had to talk about it at _some_ point. She sighed and relaxed in the chair. Sorry- the _sofa_ chair. JP was the first to speak.  
           “Zoe…. I really hope you're okay.” Zoe held back an eye roll. Of course she wasn't okay. That date left her feeling like absolute rubbish.  
           “JP, I'm FINE. It was just a bad date.” Kouji shook his head. She didn't need to hear the words that were being spoken through his gaze- _I knew this would happen…_ “He was just a stupid d*ckhead who doesn't know a thing about women. Or people, in that matter.”  
           “Can I get the soccer team and beat his ass? Throw him off a cliff?” Takuya was fuming. Kouji’s eyes glanced over at him. He placed a hand on Takuya’s shoulder and shook his head. _Too far, Takuya_. Zoe also shook her head.  
           “No. Takuya, that's not necessary.” Zoe looked at her feet. “He's really not worth it.” Tommy walked over to her and gave her a hug.  
           “Zoe, it's okay….. He's just a mean person.”  
           “He's afraid of competition,” Kouji interjected. That hit Zoe like a truck.  
           “What do you mean?”  
           “Obviously he's looking to sleep with the entire cheerleading squad. I don't have to be popular to know that. But what I mean is this- he's aware that you hang out with us. He is aware that we’re all guys here….. Even Tommy…. This Stephen guy thinks he's the shit. But he also thinks that somehow we’re stopping him in his quest to….. Well. I’ve already made it clear.” Takuya contemplated his friend’s words.  
           “You're not wrong. I know he shows me some respect, but….. He's the king of shallow. He doesn't think that girls have minds of their own. It's…… Well……”  
           “Primitive?” Kouichi chimed in. “I mean, that idea in itself is dated… It's not a great way to justify his actions….. I'd assume that this was because of animal instincts and stupidity.”  
           “Um, yeah. In my own… Well, _simpler_ terms, he's thinking with his—” Kouji punched him in the arm.  
           “Takuya, it's not necessary. But anyway….”  
           “You know, this sort of thing shouldn't be a competition,” Tommy piped in, “I mean, how many girls can a guy do…. Well…. _That stuff…._ With? Why is this a thing? I'm in the sixth grade and I know better than that.”  
           “I hope you don't _act_ on it,” JP murmured. Kouji punched him in the arm and shook his head. “Ow! I'm just being concerned!” Kouji subtly rolled his eyes and sat back down.  
           “Don't go there. This is about Zoe at the moment.”  
           “Yeah, yeah….. Right. But Z, just remember we’ve all got your back. Stephen’s just a horny little prick that'll do anything to inflate his ego. I'd fight him if it didn't get Aunt Mabel up my ass about it.” Zoe smiled wryly.  
           “You'd kill him if it didn't get Aunt Mabel up your ass about it. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you'd sell his soul to the devil for a corn chip.” JP laughed at that.  
           “I'd do that for one of those battery ‘pies’ back in the Digital World.” Seeing the smiles and smirks that followed gave Zoe a sense of peace, a sense of comfort. And for some reason it was the most relieving to see JP joking around. She didn't know why, but the look of concern on his face when he picked her up made her feel…. Well….. Like she did something wrong. Maybe she did, not heeding their warnings…… But the fact that they were bashing Stephen and not her was a relief in itself. It was true, Stephen was an asshole. But she was thankful that they didn't blame her completely for the fiasco. Zoe didn't know how she would feel if they were angrier at her.  
              But at the moment it didn't matter, because then the squad began to joke around like all the serious business was taken care of. She did wonder though…… Would they plot some sort of revenge? Part of her hoped so; Stephen would not get away with this so easily.

 

            _Oh. Hell. No._ It was the day after the meeting, and Kouji was mentally panicking. _New seats?_ I just adjusted to that prick, now what??? The teacher gestured to the seating chart, the thing that filled Kouji with more and more dread the more he looked at it. _Fu—_  
           “Minamoto, you'll be sitting up front next to Ms. Andreassen. Okay?” He nodded reluctantly. _Damn it, you didn't even pronounce my last name right._ Kouji turned around. _Now…. Who exactly is Ms. Andreassen— Oh. Her. Didn't she sit next to Zoe or some—_ “Take your seat, please.” Kouji jumped. He saw everyone else in their seats.  
           Red in the face, the ponytailed boy took his seat next to this new girl. He glanced at some of the important details- glasses, long and somewhat scruffy (or layered?) black hair….. Some freckles, ivory skin, and most importantly, baby-blue eyes the size of dinner plates. _Okay, don't exaggerate. But her eyes are— Jeez, now she's looking at me. Don't panic, don't—_  
           “U-um….. Hi, I'm Tara.” The girl whispered. He nodded. There was some silence as he completed the Do-now.  
           “Kouji.” _Smooth, Wolf boy. Smooth._  
           “O-oh! Right. Zoe told me about you.” _…...Shit._  
           “Hm.” The rest of the period was awkward silence between the two.

 

_Damn it. The teacher just **had** to assign new seats._

 

5/15/16

 

_A/N: Sorry for the abrupt ending (and the focus on Kouji…. ^-^; He's my precious child. I just didn't want the next chapter to start with the Bio class seating chart fiasco. I'm gonna try and make the next chapter better- I just didn't wanna leave you hanging._


	4. Chapter 4- Don't be such a- *meow*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER  
> Canon characters belong to Digimon Frontier, Toei animation. Tara, Stephen, Miranda, Patrycja, and Colleen are all mine.

 

           Kouichi quietly watched in front of him as Miranda started playing with her hair again. The sweet smell of strawberry wafted towards his face. It's like she was taunting him, the way she did this. But, of course, it was high school. He’d live… Sure. Kouichi looked down at his poem, the poem that the teacher assigned just twenty minutes ago. It was a free-verse about whatever the hell was on “your” mind, hypothetical “you”. He read the words in his mind to see if he needed to add anything else.

 

_The way she writes her name_  
Passing notes to me  
When she smiles and laughs  
It fills my ears with music  
The music that keeps replaying in my mind  
I don't know if she knows,  
But she makes my heart sing along.  
I don't know if she knows,  
But she's my muse.  
And I don't know if she knows this,  
But it breaks my heart to see her yearn  
For somebody else.  
I want to show her  
That I could be more than that  
But I don't know how.  
I could say it soon  
But I want to say it now 

 

           Kouichi smiled and read over his poem again. When he heard someone start to talk, he jumped. They were rehearsing their poem. _Oh help….. Don’t call on me, don’t call on me…._  
The person finished their poem and a few hands raised to share their poems. One after one they went, but some of them made absolutely no sense. English wasn’t his first language, but even he knew that “I need eat” wasn’t grammatically correct. Not to complain, of course, it could’ve been a minor mistake. It just got on his last nerve.  
            The last volunteer was Miranda. A faint pink blush covered his cheekbones as he watched her stand up. She read from her notebook like she was singing in a choir- the notebook was laid out in her hands artfully. Each word was like music- each individual word was articulated perfectly. The stresses of each syllable were poetry in themselves. He was so lost in her poem that he didn't hear his name get called.  
           “Kouichi! Earth to Kouichi?” The teacher’s voice pierced his ears and brought him back down to Earth. _Kill. Me._  
           “Y-yes…?” He looked the teacher in the eye.  
           “Since you've got quite the imagination stuck in la-la land, how about you share?” Kouji looked over at Kouichi with an oh-my-God-good-luck look in his eyes. Kouichi sighed. _No escape…._ He stood up and began to read the words that spoke of his dear Miranda. With each word, his face grew redder and redder. He felt the eyes of the classroom as if he were laying in a bed of needles. Each set of eyes poked through to his skin. Ow. Ow. Ow. When he was finally finished, he immediately sat back down. “Very nice. Next.” Kouji patted his brother’s shoulder and continued to proofread his own thing.

 

          “Now they _all_ know, Kouji. _All of them_.” Kouichi cried in disdain. Kouji shook his head.  
           “I'm sure it's not _that_ bad.” Kouji shrugged. “I mean, you're kind of subtle….. I think…. I don't know how this romance shit works.” Someone walked up to Kouichi and tapped him on the shoulder.  
           “It's okay, bro. Someday Miranda’ll notice ya like that.” He walked away.  
           “.....Okay. I was wrong. But Miranda’s kind of…. I dunno. Smart but dopey. I highly doubt she knows.” Kouichi rolled his eyes.  
           “You better be _right_ ,” he muttered.  
           “Um, I know I'm right. No offense though.” Kouichi sighed.  
           “None taken…. _This_ time.” Kouji shrugged. They started to walk in the general direction of their Chinese class when Kouji felt himself get slammed into a locker. A dial dug into his side, and he inhaled sharply. Kouichi looked at the rude incomer with fear. _Stephen_. Kouji reeled back, standing in a defensive position and glaring at Stephen.  
           “So you're the wallflower….. Well.” Stephen guffawed. “One of my bros told me you can fight, is this true?” Kouji said nothing. “Well? Are you gonna talk?” Kouji maintained his silence, his glare growing ever more deadly. Kouichi could see the daggers aiming for Stephen’s…. Everywhere, really. Kouji hated this guy with every inch of his being. “Seriously, you're not threatening. You're a strand of spaghetti for Christ’s sake.” Kouji let out a low growl from his throat. _Note: Never pick on his size. You'll get your ass kicked_ , Kouichi thought. Stephen laughed. “Very well. I guess your dad’ll see you at the nurse’s office.” He lunged forward and aimed for a quick punch to the throat…  
           …Only to get thrown five feet back. Stephen landed on the linoleum floor with a soft _oof_. The wind had been knocked out of him. Kouji dusted himself off.  
           “Shut your bitch ass up. Stop overcompensating.” He sighed and continued walking.  
           “I should've said something,” Kouichi said after a long silence. Kouji shrugged. “No, I was being a p—”  
           “No. You were scared, but I can take care of myself. It's okay, Kouichi. You weren't being that.” He held his books close to his chest. “Never say that about yourself. You're not a wimp. You just don't like confrontation. Nothing wrong with that.”  
           “This is the most you've ever spoken in school. _Ever._ ” Kouji shrugged again.  
           “I've never had a reason to speak that much. School irks me.” Kouichi laughed.  
           “True. Now let’s hope Stephen gets his just-desserts.” Kouji grinned. _Throwing him definitely wasn't enough. After this, Squad 2, Stephen 0._ He remembered that Zoe slapped Stephen and told his ass off. _Okay. Squad 3, Stephen 0._ Either way….. He was gonna have a lot of _fun_ watching Stephen suffer.

 

           JP made sure the gloves fit him well. This would be worth the money he paid that creepy kid to get the locker combination perfectly. This, the old, ratty, loose clothes, and the wig made him almost unrecognizable. The only way they'd catch him is if he left any evidence. Not that Stephen was smart enough to call forensic authorities anyway. The fool. JP got into the locker and took the first pair of boxers. Snip-snip, and the crotch was gone. He grinned maniacally and got the next one, and the next. He left nothing spared. The shorts were shredded so the legs were nothing but strips of cloth.  
           Finally, the football jersey. He left a lovely surprise in the neat folds of the shirt- itching powder. This son of a bitch had what was coming to him. Gym class would be a blast. He was lucky to have the rest of the squad (minus Tommy) in Gym. They were gonna love what was coming.

 

           Zoe sighed as she talked to Tara in the locker room. “I don't know,” Zoe said as she slipped off her shirt and grabbed her gym shirt, “now I'm not sure if revenge is a good course of action.”  
           “Zoe, he deserves it. He's a stupid little punk who thinks he's all that. Trust me, he needs a dose of reality.” She glanced at Zoe’s front. “Honestly, why the _hell_ has puberty been so mean to me?” That made Zoe laugh her butt off.  
           “Oh, Tara…. But honestly, you'll grow. We’re freshmen. You have time.”  
           “Four years. That's not a lot.” Tara switched into her gym shorts and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. “It's just embarrassing because people make fun of me all the time. ‘Flat chest’, ‘pigeon chest’, ‘wooden plank’..... I've heard some very horrible terms get thrown out at me. And I'm sick of it. I just want puberty to hit me like a truck…. Like it should have several years ago.” Zoe sighed, slipping on her gym shirt.  
           “Tara, don't worry about what they say. They just want to feel better about themselves. Some of those girls look like toothpicks. Don't worry about them.”  
           “I just want them to leave me alone.”  
           “Ah, please. If it persists, I'll kick some ass. Now we gotta go before Dragon Lady starts yelling.” The two girls laughed and rushed into the gym. They sat against the wall and waited for the boys to catch up. Tara was at first sad that Colleen and Patrycja weren't in her gym class…… But that was before she started talking to Zoe. The two had become great friends in the short time they knew each other….. Luckily it helped her adapt to the fact that her two best friends had some other class together. At least she could see them at lunch.  
           Zoe waved down Kouji, who just walked out of the locker room. Kouji waved back and walked towards the girls. Tara tried to make herself invisible. She knew he probably wouldn't interact with her anyway. Once Kouji sat down, Zoe gestured to Tara.  
            “I assume you've already met Tara?” Kouji nodded and seemed to take a better look at Tara. His night-blue eyes scanned her up and down. _Oh no. I hope he's not one of those guys… Tara shivered a little bit. Please, for the love of God, don't look at my flat chest._  
           “Mhm.” He responded. _Geez. Am I the reason he's so quiet? What am I doing wrong? Maybe I should try talking to him?_  
            “U-um….. A-are you ready for that lab tomorrow?” Tara cursed herself for her awkward conversation starter. All Kouji did was shrug.  
            “Sure.” Well. Tara noted the slight growl in his voice. Unsure whether or not that was normal, Tara seemed to retreat by pressing her back into the wall. Zoe rolled her eyes.  
            “Look, I know you're bad at being social, but you _can_ talk to her…. Kouji, be nice, will you?” Kouji seemed to take slight offense.  
            “I _am_ being nice.” The growl became more prominent. Zoe threw up her hands in defense.  
            “Hey, hey. She sits right next to you in Bio. At least be _somewhat_ friendly.” He shrugged again. Tara wanted to say something, but was saved by Kouichi and Takuya walking toward them. Startled by the unfamiliar people, Tara bit the inside of her cheek. _Oh great— Wait. Is that the guy who got humiliated in English? Aww…. Poor kid. I'll bet Miranda was too oblivious to notice. Typical_. “There you are!” Zoe waved at them. “Tara, the hothead here is Takuya.” Takuya looked like he was about to get angry, but Kouji stood up and put a hand on his shoulder as if to say “ _let it go_ ”. “And this is Kouichi, Kouji’s brother. JP should be joining us in a moment.” Kouichi gave Tara a friendly smile and a wave.  
           “Hello! Your name is Tara, right?” Tara nodded. _I'm such an awkward potato._  
           “That's me…” Takuya calmed down and gave a very cocky grin.  
           “Ahahaha, hello there! Never seen you around.” Kouji rolled his eyes at Takuya’s horrible flirting attempt.  
           “Genius, we just _moved_ here this summer. There are a million people here we don't know.” _Wow. That's the most he's said…… Ever._ Kouichi sighed.  
           “Please, not here…..” _Meanwhile Kouichi is so….. Polite. Jeez….. How the hell did that happen— Tara, someone is speaking to you._  
           “Eh. Anyway, are you that girl Zoe’s been talking about? The one who plays the ukulele?” If Kouji were a dog, his ears would've perked up. Even if he didn't want to have a conversation with her…. He was at least remotely interested. “Maybe you two should form a band,” Takuya teased. Kouji waited for Takuya to sit down, then punched his arm. HARD. Takuya yelped. “What??? I was teasing!” Kouji shook his head and sat in silence. The group turned around when they heard a mischievous laughter rumble from behind them. Takuya laughed and waved. “JP! Nice of you to join us!” JP slapped him a high five. Kouji gave him a wry grin while Zoe hugged him. Kouichi waved. Tara sat in silence. _So this is JP? He’s hot._  
           “Guys, Stephen is gonna get what's coming to him. He's _so_ screwed. Kouichi sighed and shook his head.  
           “Oh no….. PLEASE don't tell me you did something that'll get you expelled…” Kouji rolled his eyes.  
           “Oh please. Would he ever?” Kouichi shrugged.  
           “Humans are unpredictable.” All eyes were on JP. He chuckled and gave them a thumbs-up.  
           “You're right about that! ...Now let’s see…. He should be coming out soon…. _Not_ very happy, may I add.” Zoe raised her eyebrow.  
           “I hope you don't get caught.” Before anyone could respond further, a shout bellowed through the gym. JP roared with laughter.  
           “Here he comes~” He put on his best poker face as Stephen came bursting out. The bottoms and the legs of his shorts were SHREDDED, and he was scratching furiously. Kouji’s jaw dropped. Takuya slapped JP another high five. Zoe smiled. Kouichi face-palmed. And Tara couldn't help but giggle. He looked absolutely _ridiculous_. Stephen was marching around the gym screaming,  
           “WHO THE HELL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SHIT???” Tara could see something strange going on between his legs, as if he wasn't wearing— Oh. “WHY WERE ALL MY BOXERS CUT UP??? WHY THE HELL AM I ITCHING???” Seniors were too busy laughing it up to respond…  
           ….Especially the football team. It was hysterical how this guy failed this hard at life- JP would've been surprised if he even _graduated_. All of the cheerleaders in the room were completely losing it. Zoe was comforted by their continued support for her… Because it was clear whoever did this to Stephen hated his guts…. For one reason or another. The squad and Tara knew who did it….. But everyone else was clueless and didn't care who did it. If Stephen’s privileged ass was suffering, everyone was content. 

 

7/16/16  



	5. Chapter 5- In which JP gets into a fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER  
> Canon characters belong to Digimon Frontier, Toei animation. Tara, Stephen, Miranda, Patrycja, and Colleen are all mine. 

 

          A couple of days after the glorious prank, JP was sitting with his friends from Chemistry and working on his homework. He grinned as the scene from those days before played over in his head. _I did it. I did something right. I hope Zoe is at least a little happier. That's always a goal._ JP re-examined the periodic table as his friends wracked their brains over the things a chapter ahead. He laughed and took out his study guide, filling in a couple of blanks.  
           Of course his friends followed suit. As they started flipping pages and working on the study guide, JP heard a booming voice. He groaned.  
           “YOU. SHIT-BYE-MAMA.” JP rolled his eyes at the rather _shitty_ nickname. _Is that the best he can do? Why is this guy graduating???_  
           “Yes, Stephen?” He politely responded as Stephen came marching over. JP wanted to kick him in the *ohmai*, but he figured that he would hear Stephen out. _Then_ he would kick him in the—  
           “You son of a BITCH, you KNOW what I'm here for.” JP’s friends looked at each other with worry. JP sighed and quietly closed the textbook.  
           “Geez. Zoe went on a _date_ with you?” He met Stephen in the eyes and stood up. “What are you blabbering about?” _Take a leaf out of Kouji’s book. When treated with disrespect, respond with snark_.  
           “You frickin’ HUMILIATED ME.” JP shook his head.  
           “Nnnooo, I don't think so. You're humiliating yourself by running around screaming like a caveman. How did I humiliate you?” _But when all else fails, be a gentleman. A gentleman who doesn't take bullshit._  
           “YOU CUT HOLES IN MY BOXERS. YOU SHREDDED MY SHORTS. YOU MESSED WITH MY STUFF.” One of the friends snickered. She was there to see that. JP smiled inside, but kept his poker face on the outside.  
           “Oh? Where’s your proof? Do you have forensic evidence? Or are you basing your argument on the fact that you don't like me? Always have evidence. Scientific method. I would hope you passed your Science courses if you're going to be graduating.” A couple friends made the “oh shit” face. They knew this could end really, really badly.  
           “You're friends with Zoe. She was a bitch because I was stating some facts. You're _in love_ with that blonde bitch. It doesn't take a _genius_ to figure it out.” JP sighed.  
           “But apparently it takes more than a complete moron to realize that you were being an asshole desperate to get some. And that didn't take a genius to figure out either.” Stephen snarled.  
           “You little— She’s never gonna like you.” JP raised an eyebrow.  
           “Says who? The privileged prick who wanted to _sleep_ with her? The moron jock who treated her like garbage? Please.” Stephen put on a crazed, evil smile.  
           “It doesn't matter if you treat her like a lady. It doesn't matter if you're there for her all the time. The fact of the matter is, she’s never gonna turn your way.” JP’s face exhibited pain. _Shut up_.  
           “T-That's not-”  
           “Oh, but it is. See, here's the deal. You can get as fit and healthy as you want. You can go to the gym as many times a week as you see fit. You can get strong, toned, athletic, whatever the hell. But you'll still be that fat loser who can never seem to please her over Takuya or the wallflower. I heard of what you were like in Japanasia. And believe me, you were _rock. Bottom._ Even Wallflower Minnymotto was past you. Right?” _Shut. UP._ “So give it up. You should find someone who’s a little more in your league—”

 

             BAM. JP’s fist had slammed into Stephen’s nose. Stephen reeled back, cussing and fuming. The Chemistry group dropped their jaws in awe. JP just _did that_. He stood his ground, glaring at Stephen. Stephen looked up and growled, blood pouring from his nostrils.  
           “That’s it,” he snarled. Stephen lunged at JP and made a swipe at his stomach. JP backed up, but Stephen still managed to get him. He staggered back, breathing raggedly. He may have had great abs, but…. That didn't make him Superman. JP recovered and attacked. He managed to slam into Stephen and knock him to the ground.  
           It was at that point JP’s friends couldn't tell who was dealing what blow. They heard thudding, growling, and shouts of pain. It was all a blur to them. But then they saw a few people passing by, walking toward the library. Kouji and Takuya. The very people Stephen had mentioned. They heard the shouts from the combatants and the bystanders and turned around. And when those two saw what was happening… Their faces were horrified. This was definitely not something JP was necessarily known for. They feared the worst and started to run over.  
            JP felt Stephen get pulled out of his grip. He could see Takuya immediately start whaling on him. Kouji rolled his eyes and ran over, pulling Takuya off.  
           “Takuya, knock it _off_! It's not worth it. Stop.” He was trying his hardest to keep Takuya from raging at Stephen. “Stop it, JP’s okay, he's okay…” JP looked at Stephen, who was a bruised mess. He grinned. _You, sir, are getting what you deserved. Deal with it._ Kouji had finally managed to calm Takuya down. Takuya looked at JP vs Stephen, and saw JP only had a couple minor bruises. It was Stephen who had the bloody nose.  
           Stephen ran off. Kouji sighed and face-palmed when Takuya started yelling after him.  
           “Takuya, it’s over. Calm down, you're only making it worse.” He walked over to JP. “You're okay?” JP nodded.  
           “Only a little shaken. I kicked his ass guys, don't worry.” Takuya laughed and Kouji grinned. The two were very proud of JP’s victory, no doubt about it.  
           “Good. No mercy, JP!” Takuya cheered. “Now finally he can get off our backs, eh?” Kouji rolled his eyes.  
           “Wrong, moron. He doesn't know when to back off. Which is why he decided to go out and get revenge. JP, just watch your back.” Takuya scratched the back of his head.  
           “Do you know how _not_ to be a buzzkill?” Kouji shrugged.  
           “Do you really have to ask that question?” JP sighed as he checked his phone.  
           “Aunt Mabel’s texting. She wants me to come home. ….I’ll see you all later.” Takuya and Kouji nodded, giving him a quick wave goodbye and heading off. To where, JP didn't know. JP grabbed his books, and his Chemistry friends said their good-byes as well.

 

           He just hoped Aunt Mabel wouldn't kill him for beating someone up….. especially since it's Stephen and he deserved it.

 

             
           Tara sat with her closest friends in the entire world- Patrycja and Colleen. Colleen’s eyes lit up as she read a text message from a cheerleader she knew.  
           “Whoa, whoa! You two have _got_ to hear this. Stephen just got his _ass_ handed to him by that JP kid!” Tara blinked and Patrycja’s jaw dropped.  
           “H-he did? JP did that?” Patrycja frantically chirped in her adorable Polish accent. “W-what if Stephen goes after him-”  
           “Re _lax_ , Pat-Pat! Trust me, he’ll just get punched in the face if he does. Or judo-flipped…. or something.” Colleen grinned. “I mean, that JP dude works _out_! Do you _see_ those muscles? Honestly, I wonder why Zoe doesn't bother dating him…. I’d be all over that in a _heartbeat_!” Patrycja sighed.  
           “What will we do with you…” She shook her head and checked her phone. “Annnnnd my older sisters are in trouble with the parents again.” She sighed and shook her head again. “Well, they're in college now. Big girls. I can't help them.” Colleen raised her eyebrow.  
           “What’d they do this time.” Patrycja rolled her eyes.  
           “They were caught partying again, drunk-called our parents.” Tara rolled her eyes while Colleen cringed.  
           “Eek. _Please_ don't turn out trashy like them.” Patrycja put her phone away and shrugged.  
           “I learn from their mistakes. They're just lucky neither of them got pregnant. Then they'd both be in _big_ trouble.” Colleen laughed.  
           “I'll bet! Your parents don't play around.” Patrycja chuckled and sighed.  
           “No they don't.” She paused, looking at her nails, and quickly grabbing a nail file. “I just hope Stephen doesn't take this drama too far…. I don't want to see JP get hurt.” Filing the chip out of her nail, Patrycja shivered. “I heard Stephen sent someone to the hospital last year. They had to be homeschooled the rest of the year because of it.” Colleen’s emerald green eyes popped out of her skull.  
           “ _No way_. Poor JP, I hope he can defend himself…” She looked at her phone and answered a text from her cousin. Then she looked at Patrycja again. “Now where the fuck did you hear _that_ from?”  
           “I heard it from Edgard, who heard from some of his friends,” Tara piped in. “Apparently Stephen heard the poor sap talking shit about him, and apparently his girlfriend at the time _cheated_ on him with that guy. Stephen decided he wasn't gonna have it, and…. yeah.” Colleen stared at both of them.  
           “ _Yiiiiiiiikes…._ ”

 

           JP just finished up a lab he needed to make up. He carefully cleaned the workspace and gathered his books when he felt something grab the back of his head and bash his face into the desk. A rough voice filled his ears.  
           “So you think you're real tough, huh? You wanna see tough? Wanna see?” JP felt his head get lifted up by the hair, and slammed back down on the desk, making a sickening cracking sound. A warm feeling oozed from his nose. “I'll show you what tough is, Fattie.” Lift, and slam. JP moaned in pain each time. He knew exactly who it was. Stephen. “She's never gonna want you. Like I said, you're just the fat loser, and you'll _always_ be the fat loser.” Lift and _slam >/i>. JP whimpered, trying to struggle… but he was pinned. Stephen was using his entire body weight to the desk. JP heard footsteps walk into the room and scamper out. “She's.” Lift and slam. “Way.” Lift and slam. “Out.” Lift and slam. “Of.” Lift and _slam_. “Your.” Lift and __**slam**_. “League.” Lift and—  
           “HEY, ASS-HAT.” A piercing female voice boomed through the classroom. JP heard a slapping sound and a grunt, followed by the release of his head. He clutched the desk and held his head up to avoid his face plopping into the small puddle of blood on the desk. The front of his face hurt like hell. But when he looked up…. he saw Zoe looming menacingly over Stephen, the anger rising in her eyes. He also looked and saw Tara standing near the door. _Did she call for help? Was that the scampering…?_ “HOW DARE YOU? HOW FUCKING DARE YOU???” _Uh oh. Zoe’s **really** mad._ “YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE _NEAR_ HIM. HOW. DARE, YOU.” Her voice was rougher than Stephen’s, and sharp with rage. Stephen backed up and tried to escape, but Tara blocked the door. Her foot went up and hit a special sweet spot. Stephen swore and covered his groin.  
          “Nope. You're staying put,” Tara asserted, “I'm not letting you out of here until the principal arrives.” Stephen paled. He knew that if he was caught this time, he would lose prom privileges and he wouldn't get to walk at graduation. _And_ he'd get kicked off the football team. Stephen was screwed. Security came in first, followed by the principal. The principal wore a stern and very annoyed facial expression. Two of the guards grabbed Stephen and headed out. The principal apologized to JP and left to go take care of Stephen. Zoe ran to JP’s side and took a paper towel to his nose.  
           “C’mon. Let’s take you to the nurse.” JP nodded and walked with Zoe down the hall. They saw Kouji, who was walking out of the choir room, and his face said it all- _Stephen was so dead._ Tara nodded at him so he knew that she agreed 100%. Stephen was going _down_. However, she looked fairly… Eerily… _Calm._ Tara didn’t visibly show it, but she was boiling with rage. It was all fun and games when JP pranked him. But Stephen going _this_ far, after JP defended himself? Well. She was ready to fight someone then and there.  
           The nurse looked every shade of horrified when JP showed her his still-bleeding nose. There was already bruising around the area. But JP gave her a wry smile and walked over to the nearest bed. It may have hurt him like hell, but JP didn’t want to make the nurse even more upset than she already was. He wanted to study health and nutrition in a university, so he did anything he could to help her out, and she absolutely loved his company. His humor always made her day. Seeing him this hurt must’ve put her in a state of disarray.  
           “I’m okay, Nurse Evans. I promise. I just need some ice and some rest.” Nurse Evans nodded and walked to the freezer and handed him an ice pack. Then she turned to Zoe.  
           “What _happened_?” Zoe sighed and looked at JP, who was laying on the bed and holding the ice to his face. Then she looked at the nurse and explained,  
           “Someone attacked him in the Chemistry room. Stephen, you know, the one you probably saw getting sent to the office by security?” Nurse Evans nodded. “Well, he had JP by the hair and smashed his face into a desk multiple times. There was a lot of blood.” Nurse Evans’ eyes widened and she rushed to the phone to call Aunt Mabel. Zoe walked to the bedside and sat on the bed next to JP. “JP… Are you okay?”  
           “Yeah, yeah… I’m… Fine.” He looked up at her, maintaining his pained smile. She just looked so beautiful…. But he knew that she didn’t feel the same for him. She was only worried about him because he was her friend for so long… Nothing more.

_It was rather upsetting, really. He did all this exercise, healthier diet, _everything_ … But she was his motivation. He did this all for _her_ … But she never batted an eyelash. Still… JP appreciated that she was concerned for him… He was happy that she cared about him enough to risk Stephen hurting her too… And yet, it hurt him to know that although he would drop everything to help her out of any bad situation… She still didn’t notice. Would she have done the same thing? Would she have fought someone? ...Maybe. But he wasn’t sure how long he could keep pursuing her to no avail. That crush he had on her back in middle school only escalated… To the point where it just… _Hurts_. It _hurt_ him to see Zoe with someone else… It _hurt_ him to know that he could save her from a million Stephens… And then what? _

_As he closed his eyes, he took in deep breaths. In, out… In, out… A thought occurred to him. He was sick and tired of dealing with the physical pain…. He was going to make himself happy. And if that meant moving on? ...So be it._

_11/7/16_  



End file.
